I have never been a fan of the werewolf sub-genre, in fact, there are only three other werewolf films I would rate highly. 'The Wolf Man,' 'An American Werewolf in London' and 'Dog Soldiers.' After ages of putting this one off I finally bit the bullet and put it in. I am glad I did. Joe Dante's 'The Howling' is not only a great werewolf movie, it is a really good movie. Featuring a great performance by Dee Wallace, some excellent transformation scenes and gore and some genuinely weird settings this is a a genre-defining movie. My attention was immediately drawn from the start and not once was I looking at my watch or waiting for the end. The story is interesting and is very evenly paced and the creepy woods setting (with some atmospheric fog to boot) kept me tense throughout. Moreover, when the first transformation scene occurred (during sex by a campfire!) I was even more engaged.
Joe Dante's direction and sly sense of humour probably helped this movie quite a bit, though. Especially with the ending, which was tragic and although out of place (for me, anyway) did suit the movie. Overall, 'The Howling' was surprisingly good and features one of the coolest transformation scenes I have ever seen! 3½/5
Joe Dante's direction and sly sense of humour probably helped this movie quite a bit, though. Especially with the ending, which was tragic and although out of place (for me, anyway) did suit the movie. Overall, 'The Howling' was surprisingly good and features one of the coolest transformation scenes I have ever seen! 3½/5